Credit card actuated vending machine system

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for checking whether a credit card inserted into a vending machine is valid and, additionally, assigning priority of operation of the vending machine to owners of credit cards, based on the order of insertion of the credit cards into the machine.

x i 3 e 6? i. 9 5 Z United States ?atent 1 1 3,691,527

Yamamoto [4 1 Sept. 12, 1972 1541 CREDIT CARD ACTUATED VENDING 1561 i rn Cit d MACHINE SYSTEM UNITED STATES PATENTS [721 lnvenm" Japan3,121,159 2/1964 R0881 ..235/61.6 73 Assignee: Tateisi Electronics C0,,Kyoto-511i, 3,184,714 5/1965 Brown, Jr. et a1. ..34o/149 Japan 3,308,2383/1967 Brothman 6:61 ..179/2 CA 3,355,576 11/1967 Childers et al..235/61.7 [221 3,394,246 7/1968 Goldman ..34o/149 A x 211 Appl. No.:26,095 3,440,606 4/1969 Bayha ..340/149 A Rem"! Primary Examiner-DonaldJ. Yusko [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 563,158, July 6, 1966, n y-KurtKe man abandoned.

57 ABSTRACT 'g "340/149 A Apparatus for checking whether a credit cardinserted [58] Fie'ld 147 LP into a vending machine is valid and,additionally, as-

signing priority of operation of the vending machine to 235/616 179/2 CAowners of credit cards, based on the order of insertion of the creditcards into the machine.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures CARD CHECKING CONTROL PRESELECTOR PRESELECTORSWITCH SWITCH ll NUMBER INVALI NUMBER STCRACE CHECKER P'A'TE'N'TEDser 121912 3 691. 527

sum 1 ur 4 Fig.7

OARO CHECKING CONTROL PRESELECTOR SWITCH PRESELECTOR SWITCH CARD NUMBERINVALID NUMBER CHEOKER STORAGE INVENTOR. M \TITA KA YAH n HorO BY (WPKama AGEN PATENTED W 3.691.527

sum 2 er;

Fig.2

INVENTOR. H IT; 7% KA (14mm we BY 14% mm AGG PATENTEDSEP 12 1972 SHEET38F 4 Fig.3

INVENTOR. E I I A (nHAHoro 4m MW PATENTED EH 3.691. 527

sum u or 4 Fig4 INVENTOR. M l KA mHAHoro CREDIT CARD ACTUATED VENDINGMACHINE SYSTEM This is a continuation of my copending application Ser.No. 563,158, filed July 6, 1966, now abandoned.

'The present invention relates to an article dispensing apparatus whichprovides an article or a service controlled by using a credit card.

Vending apparatus combining a checking means to check the validity of acredit card inserted into the apparatus, a reading means to read out acustomer number on the credit card, a vending machine to be driven bythe insertion of the valid credit card, and a recording means to recordthe selling price of the sold article and the customer number is known.

In such apparatus, it is necessary for the apparatus to be equipped witha recording means capable of recording the number of articles that havebeen sold to any customer. This information is needed to determine thetotal cost of the items purchased. The recording means, in recording theselling information, converts the selling information into a particularcode which can be recorded on a recording medium (for example, a tape).However, the recording means is expensive to manufacture and, therefore,it is desirable to use one recording means in common with a number ofvending machines.

An example of an invalid credit card which may be inserted into avending machine is as follows:

I A spurious credit card;

2. A credit card having a defective customer number thereon;

3. A credit card reported as lost; or

4. A credit card which has expired.

When a customer inserts an invalid credit card into the vending machine,no sale should take place. Therefore, it is desirable for the vendingmachine to check whether each credit card inserted into the machine isvalid or invalid.

v Under ideal conditions, each vending machine would be associated withits own checking means. However, the checking means checking a creditcard for the defects identified in the above items (2) and (3) iscomparatively complicated and, therefore, a single checking means isusually shared in common with a number of vending machines.

During peak periods, simultaneous or overlapping use of two or morevending machines may result in the checking means either receivinginaccurate information, the misdirecting of information from thechecking means to the vending machines, or the recording of incompleteor inaccurate information of the sale.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide anarticle dispensing apparatus in which each vending machine and thecommon control device thereof are reliable in operation, even if allmachines are operated nearly simultaneously or overlapping in the time.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the presentinvention, reference should be had to the following detaileddescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vending apparatus in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a checking means and a control meansequipped in each vending machine in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a pre-selector means and a pre-selectorswitch shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the customer number checker and the invalidnumber storage shown in FIG. 1.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detailhereinafter. The illustrated embodiment is an article dispensingapparatus comprising a recording control means R and three articlevending machines A, B and C connected thereto. A checking means 2 in themachine A is constructed as follows. When a credit card CC on a tray 21is inserted completely, a lock-pin 22 acting against spring 23 will locktray 21 in position. This condition is illustrated in FIG. 2. In thiscondition a sensor or proximity switch 24 senses for the presence of aspecific metal laid on embedded within the credit card CC to check thevalidity of the inserted credit card, the metal being magnetic ornon-magnetic, a poor or good conductor, and the like. When the proximityswitch detects the presence of the specific metal, the proximity switchdrives a relay X, and lights a light source 25. The light emitted fromlight source 25 illuminates photo-electric elements 26 through codedtransparent portions of the available term and the customer number onthe credit card CC. Additionally, the light penetrates a transparentportion disposed on the credit card CC to check the correct position ofthe credit card CC. If the credit card CC is located in the correctposition, the light illuminates one unit of the photo-electric elementsand thereby the one unit of the photo-electric elements supplies asignal indicating that the credit card position is correct (OK) on aline 27. When a checking portion 28 checks or confirms the availableterm of the credit card OK, checking portion 28 supplies a signal on aline 29. The output from the remainder of the photo-electric elements issupplied as a customer number signal to a preselector switch 5 describedhereinafter through lines 30A through 30C.

A control means 3 is constructed as follows. contact x, of the relay X,operated by the output of sensor 24 supplies a signal to a flip-flopcircuit (hereinafter called F circuit) F, through a differential circuitD, and an OR circuit 0, so as to reverse the operating condition of theF circuit F,. This reverse of the operating condition of the F circuitF, provides no output on l side output terminal thereof. Therefore, apulse from continuously operating pulse signal generator PG will betransmitted to a NOT circuit N, through an OR circuit 0,. The OR circuit0 supplies the pulse signal as a calling signal on a line 31A. When thepulse signal from the OR circuit 0, is fed to a pre-selector means 4described hereinafter, the F circuit F, will be re-reversed to stopfurther calling signal by a first arrival of a signal which has beenreturned from pre-selector means 4. A first arrival signal line 32A isconnected to the input terminals of AND circuits A,, A, and A, and adifferential circuit D, so as to reverse the F circuit F, again asdescribed above. The AND circuit A, receives an input from the ANDcircuit A the first arrival signal 32A, and an input signal on line 61which indicates that the customer number signal through the line 30A hasbeen checked and found to be correct by an invalid number storage 7 anda complete number signal checker 6. On the other hand, the AND circuitA, receives, as an input thereof, a signal from a NOT circuit N, and asignal on line 62. This indicates that the customer number is incorrect.Thus, when the inserted credit card is located in the correct position,has not expired and bears a complete and valid registered customernumber, and moreover when the calling signal from the machine isreceived by pre-selector means 4 and is returned therefrom as the firstarrival signal 32A, the AND circuit A, supplies an output signal whichdrives a keep rela'y X; to close contacts x x and x thereof. Operationof contacts x x and x lights a lamp L, which indicates that the insertedcredit card is valid and urges the associated vending machine to itsselling condition.

On the other hand, when the inserted credit card is invalid, a relay Xoperates to close a contact x and energize a solenoid So. This urgeslock-pin 22 to move against the action of the spring and permits theinserted credit card to fall out. At the same time, a lamp L, which isused to indicate that the inserted credit card has been found to beinvalid will be lighted. The explanation above refers to that situationwhere vending machine A is being used. However, the same explanationapplies to the use of vending machines B or C.

The following explanation refers to pre-selector means 4 (FIG. 3). F Fand F are flip-flop circuits which can be positioned in the vendingmachines A, B and C, respectively. The set input sides of the F circuitsF F and F are respectively connected to -the calling pulse input lines31A, 31B and 31C from the machine corresponding thereto. A differentialcircuit D D and D in each line differentiates the calling pulse from themachine before it is fed to the set input side of the F circuit.Pre-selector means 4 is provided with OR circuits 0 and 0 which operateswhen a calling pulse signal is present on the calling pulse input lines31A through 31C to set one of the F circuits F F and F which receivesthe first one of the calling pulse signals and locks the remainder ofthe F circuits. When one of the F circuits is operated by the receipt ofa calling pulse signal, the F circuit will supply a first occurring"signal from its output terminal to the corresponding one of lines 32A,32B and 32C. The signal lines 32A, 32B and 32C connect to the machinesA, B and C, respectively, and connect to a pre-selector switch means 5.

Pre-selector switch means comprises three groups of AND gates where eachgroup corresponds to machines A, B and C, respectively. That is, thefirst group of the AND circuits A A A corresponds to the machine A, thesecond group of the AND circuit A A A corresponds to the machine B, andthe remainder group corresponds to the machine C. The first stage ofeach group of AND circuits A A and A is connected respectively to inputlines 33A, 33B and 33C to which an input is applied when the operationof the selling price selection occurs in the corresponding one ofmachines A, B and C. The remainder of the stages of the AND circuits ofeach group are respectively connected to customer number signal lines30A, 30B and 30C, and selling price signal lines 34A, 34B and 34C whichcorrespond to the machines A, B and C, respectively. First occurringsignal lines 32A, 32B and 32C are respectively connected to one of theinput terminals of the AND circuits in each AND circuit groupcorresponding to each of the first arrival signal line.

The corresponding stage of each group of an AND circuit group, forexample AND circuits A A and A AND circuits A A and A AND circuits A Aand A provides an output thereof to OR circuits 0 ,0 and 012.

When one of the F circuits F through F receives the calling signal fromthe machine to provide the first occurring signal, the group of ANDcircuits which corresponds to the machine will be opened by receivingthe first occurring signal to provide a customer number signal for thecustomer who has driven the machine to the OR circuits 0 0 For instance,if a calling signal from the machine A is the first occurring one, onlyone group of AND circuit A A will be open and a customer number signalof that customer will appear at the OR circuits 0 0 The output of the ORcircuit 0 is a signal indicating the selling price of the articleselected by the customer in the machine. In accordance with thisembodiment, the present invention is provided with an inhibit circuit 1,and an AND circuit A, which are connected to the output terminal of theOR circuit 0 and the output terminal of the OR circuit 0 The inhibitcircuit 1, supplies the check signal- 41 of the customer number if theOR circuit 0 does not provide a signal indicating the selling price ofthe article selected by the customer. On the other hand, when the ORcircuit 0, supplies an output signal, both the output signal from the ORcircuit 0 and the first occurring signal through the OR circuit 0enables the AND circuit A, to supply a record starting output signal 42.Further, it is noted that the first arrival signal is eliminated when ORcircuits 0 through 0 receives a signal from an OR circuit 45 to supply areset input to the F circuits F through F respectively. In other words,the first occurring signal is eliminated when an OK signal 61 or a notOK signal 62 for the inserted credit card is received from the checkingmeans when the customer number is checked, or the occurrence of a recordfinishing signal 81 which indicates the completion of the recordingoperation from a timer T,, T, or T respectively so as to make any of thetimers above time up.

A customer number signal from the pre-select switch means 5 istransmitted to an invalid number storage means 7 and the checking meanswhich includes a checking portion 6 to check whether the customer numberhas complete figures or not. If the customer number signal of thecustomer number on the inserted credit card should be the same as aninvalid signal stored in invalid number storage means 7, invalid numberstorage means 7 will provide an invalid signal 71 to an AND circuit Athrough an OR circuit 0 On the other hand, the first occurring signal ofthe credit card, which has been inserted into the machine, is suppliedto the inhibit circuit 1,, and therefore output signal 41 of the inhibitcircuit is provided to the AND circuit A so as to supply an invalidsignal 62 therefrom. It is noted in this case that an inhibit circuit Idoes not provide a signal 61 when the output signal 41 of inhibitcircuit I, is fed to the inhibit circuit I Further, it is also notedthat the checking portion which checks whether the customer number hascomplete figures or not supplies four inputs to an AND circuit A throughfour OR circuits 0,, through 0,, which corresponds to each of the fourfigures of customer number signal 43 and the AND circuit A,,, will notprovide an output signal if a digit of the customer number is lacking.The output signal of a NOT circuit N fed by the AND circuit A and theinvalid signal 71 are supplied to an OR circuit 0,,, which supplies aninvalid output signal 62 indicating the credit card not to be valid.When there are no inputs to the OR circuit 0, the OR circuit 0., willnot supply an output signal and the inhibit circuit 1,, will supply avalid output 61 indicating the credit card to be OK.

The operation of the selling price selection in the machine isillustrated in FIG. 2. When all the read-out information from the creditcard inserted into the machine is adequately satisfied with thepredetermined conditions as described hereinabove and the first arrivalsignal returns to the vending machines, a keep relay X, will beenergized to close the relay contacts 2a,, and X,, so that the operatingcondition of the machine may be continued even if the first occurringsignal has terminated. The operation of relay contacts x and x,,energizes a relay AX, to close the relay contacts Ax Ax and AxTherefore, the machine is kept in the condition for a selling operation.Then, when one of a various kind of the selling price switches 8,, S,and S, is pushed, for example the selling price switch S is pushed, arelay AX, will be energized to keep the selfcontact AX and make contactsAx and Ax closed.

When the contact Ax is closed, a digitalized selling price signal 34corresponding to the selling price switch driven by the customer istransmitted from a diode matrix circuit DM to pre-selector switchingmeans 5. Furthermore, a signal 33A which is used to start the recordingoperation is also transmitted to the pre-selector switching means 5.However, the actual recording operation has not been started yet. Asignal through an OR circuit 0., from a differential circuit D, and theOR circuit 0 operates to reverse the operation of the F circuit Ftogether with a signal from a pulse generator PG is transmitted ascalling signal 31A to the pre-selector switching means 5. In this case,if there is no first occurring signal from another machine, firstoccurring signal 32A will be transmitted by the calling signal 31A, sothat the first occurring signal 32A may open the AND gates A A in thepreselector switch portion to transmit customer number signal 30A whichhad been provided and selling price signal 34A described above torecording means 8 and, a the same time, to transmit a record startingsignal 42 through the 0R circuit 0 and AND circuit A, to recording means8. The recording means starts to record the selling price and thecustomer. At the completion of the recording operation, recording means8 supplies a record end signal 81. Record end signal 81 is supplied toeach one of the machines A, B and C. However, as only the machine A hasreceived the first arrival signal, an AND gate A in the machine Aprovides an output to drive a relay X and a release electric magnet X,Rof a keep relay X,. Thereby the keep relay X, will be restored and asolenoid S will be energized by closing of a contact x so as to droptray 21 containing the credit card. Then, when the customer closes theselection switch AS, or AS, corresponding to the article selectedpreviously, an article releasing solenoid M or M, will be operated torelease the article. At the same time, a relay AX, is driven to opencontact AX, thereof momentarily and the self-holding of relay Ax will bereleased to return the machine to the initial condition. Moreover, relaycontacts Ax Ax,,,Ax, and Ax are released to assume their normalpositions.

Now, assuming that a valid credit card is inserted correctly into themachines A and B nearly simultaneously and a calling pulse signal 31A istransmitted from machine A a little earlier than from machine B. It isnoted in this case that first occurring signal 32A is supplied to onlythe machine A, that calling pulse signal 31A is eliminated and that sucha signal as first occurring signal 32A does not appear at machine B. Byvirtue of first arrival signal 32A, only the customer number signal frommachine A is admitted to pass selecting switch means 5 to be checked incheck means 6 and signal 61, which indicates that the customer number onthe credit card is correct, is fed to pre-selector means 4 and machineA. Then, machine A will be set ready for the selling operation and firstoccurring signal 32A is eliminated in selector means 4. At the instantof eliminating first occurring signal 32A, valid card indicating signal61, checking order signal 41 and the output of OR circuit 0 are alsoeliminated and preselector means 4 is returned to the initial conditionthereof. Then, a calling signal from machine B producers another firstoccurring signal 323 and first occurring signal 32B eliminates thecalling signal of machine B. Furthermore, first occurring signal 32Bopens a gate circuit corresponding to machine B in pre-selector switchmeans 5 so as to pass the customer number signal from machine B to checkmeans 6, in which the customer number signal is checked whether thesignal is valid or not. When a valid signal as to the customer number isprovided to pre-selector switch means 5 and machine B, as describedabove, pre-selector means 4 will be returned to the initial conditionthereof. Subsequently, when the operation of selecting the price of thearticle is performed nearly simultaneously in machines A and B, one. ofthe calling signals from machines A and B is transmitted with priorityto the other one. As illustrated in detail above, if in the preselectormeans the calling signal from machine A has priority to that frommachine B, signals as to the price of the selected article and thecustomer number from machine A are recorded first of all and then thefirst occurring signal of machine A will be eliminated. And thereafter,the calling signal from machine B is automatically processed and therebysignals as to the price of the selected article and customer number frommachine B are also recorded.

When the calling pulse signals from the machines sequentially reachpre-selector means 4 in machines A, B and C, the calling signals frommachine A obtain the first occurring signal and thatthe first occurringsignal eliminates the calling signal. However, when the elimination ofthe calling signals from machine A is performed after informationprocessing operations (the customer number checking operation or therecording operation) with respect to machine A, machine B will notalways obtain the first occurring signal. In others words, theelimination of the calling signal means the time when a reset pulse isprovided to F circuit F and then the lock conditions of F circuit F andF are released, and in this case calling pulse signals 31B and 31C arecompared again with each other with respect to the first arrival. Bothcalling signals 31B and 31C are in the form of pulse wave, and the firstarrival is decided by which calling signal 318 or 31C first reverses theoperation of the F circuit. Accordingly, when three calling signalsoccur simultaneously, the first of the two calling signals to arrive isdecided substantially by the arrival order of the calling pulses,irrespective of the timing order of the insertion of the credit cardsand the timing order of the selection of the article price. lt thecalling signals are not in the form of a pulse train (continuous pulsewave) and the calling operation is performed at three places, the firstoccurring signal of the first machine can be obtained. However, it isdifficult to determine the first occurring signal if the two remainingcalling signals on and after the second arrival after the firstoccurring calling signal of the first machine is eliminated, becausethere must be simultaneous inputs at the F circuits F F, and F,corresponding to the remaining calling signals. Therefore, in order todetermine the first occurring signal it is necessary for the F circuitsto stop one of the remaining calling signals for a short time.Accordingly, it is noted that if the calling signals are in the form ofpulse train, the first occurring signal of the remaining calling signalscan be obtained because there is always provided a timing deviationbetween the inputs of the F circuits.

If the machine deals only in a unit price article, the present apparatusshown in FIG. 1 needs only one price recording operation which can beobtained by short circuiting contacts Ax Ax and Ax in the circuit shownin FIG. 2. In this case, contact x of relay X, is closed by the receiptof a valid card signal 61 during the insertion of the credit card and,therefore, the recording of the article price and the customer number iscompleted prior to the receipt of the first occurring si nal.

This present invention can be easily applied to a service vendingapparatus, for example, an automatic ticket punching machine. Such anautomatic ticket punching machine is similar to the unit price goodsvending machine, the machine being constructed to open a ticket punchinggate under the control of relay X, when this relay is driven.

Iclaim:

1. In an article vending system of the type that includes a plurality ofremote vending machines operable by the insertion of a credit cardtherein, each vending machine being connected to a central recordingstation for recording the identity of the purchaser and the amount ofthe purchase made from each machine the improvement which comprisescircuitry to inhibit the simultaneous connection of more than one remotevending machine to the recording means in said central recordingstation, said circuitry including:

a. at each remote vending machine;

means, responsive to the presence of specific indicia on said creditcard, for checking the validity of said card and for generating a firstsignal if said card is valid;

a pulse generator;

a first bi-stable device, having a set input, a reset input and anoutput, said set" input being connected to said checking means toreceive said first si n and gating means, actuafied by the output ofsaid first bistable device, for gating the output of said pulsegenerator to said central recording station as a calling signal; and

b. at the central recording station;

a second bistable device, for each one of said plurality of remotevending machines, each device having a set input of the associatedbistable device;

an OR-gate for each one of said plurality of remote vending machines,said OR-gate having an output, and as many inputs as there are remotevending machines connected to'the system, said second bistable devicesand said OR-gates being grouped in pairs, the output of each secondbistable device being connected to the inputs of all of said OR-gatesother than the OR-gate associated therewith in the same pair, the outputof each OR-gate being connected to the reset input of the secondbistable device associated therewith in the same pair, the output ofeach second bistable device being transmitted back as a second signal tothe reset input of the first bistable device in the associated remotevending machine to reset same and terminate transmission of said firstsignal, the calling signal from theremote vending machine which firstarrives changing the state of its associated second bistable device andinhibiting a change of state in all other second bistable devices, andeven in the presence of calling signals from other remote vendingmachines; and

a plurality of AND-gates, arranged in groups, one group for each remotevending machine, having their inputs connected to the signal outputsfrom the associated remote vending machines and to the output of theassociated second bistable device so that only that group of AND-gatesassociated with the second bistable device receiving the first-arrivingcalling signal is operable to gate the output of the correspondingvending machine to said recording means, whereby simultaneous connectionof more than one vending machine to said recording means is inhibited.

1. In an article vending system of the type that includes a plurality ofremote vending machines operable by the insertion of a credit cardtherein, each vending machine being connected to a central recordingstation for recording the identity of the purchaser and the amount ofthe purchase made from each machine the improvement which comprisescircuitry to inhibit the simultaneous connection of more than one remotevending machine to the recording means in said central recordingstation, said circuitry including: a. at each remote vending machine;means, responsive to the presence of specific indicia on said creditcard, for checking the validity of said card and for generating a firstsignal if said card is valid; a pulse generator; a first bi-stabledevice, having a ''''set'''' input, a ''''reset'''' input and an output,said ''''set'''' input being connected to said checking means to receivesaid first signal; and gating means, actuated by the output of saidfirst bistable device, for gating the output of said pulse generator tosaid central recording station as a calling signal; and b. at thecentral recording station; a second bistable device, for each one ofsaid plurality of remote vending machines, each device having a''''set'''' input of the associated bistable device; an OR-gate for eachone of said plurality of remote vending machines, said OR-gate having anoutput, and as many inputs as there are remote vending machinesconnected to the system, said second bistable devices and said OR-gatesbeing grouped in pairs, the output of each second bistable device beingconnected to the inputs of all of said OR-gates other than the OR-gateassociated therewith in the same pair, the output of each OR-gate beingconnected to the ''''reset'''' input of the second bistable deviceassociated therewith in the same pair, the output of each secondbistable device being transmitted back as a second signal to the''''reset'''' input of the first bistable device in the associatedremote vending machine to reset same and terminate transmission of saidfirst signal, the calling signal from the remote vending machine whichfirst arrives changing the state of its associated second bistabledevice and inhibiting a change of state in all other second bistabledevices, and even in the presence of calling signals from other remotevending machines; and a plurality oF AND-gates, arranged in groups, onegroup for each remote vending machine, having their inputs connected tothe signal outputs from the associated remote vending machines and tothe output of the associated second bistable device so that only thatgroup of AND-gates associated with the second bistable device receivingthe first-arriving calling signal is operable to gate the output of thecorresponding vending machine to said recording means, wherebysimultaneous connection of more than one vending machine to saidrecording means is inhibited.